Plastic bananas and pure unscripted joy: Murder, She Didn’t Write delivers non-stop Laughs at the Old Vic

This is a murder mystery like no other,

Imagine the rainbow-coloured characters of Cluedo mixed with live stand-up comedy, accompanied by 1930s swing piano music, and you’ll be close to picturing what a night watching Degree of Error’s Murder, She Didn’t Right theatre masterpiece is like.

This is a murder mystery like no other, as it’s entirely improvised. The audience gets to decide where the killing takes place – in our case, during heart surgery – and what murder weapon is used (a plastic banana).

And from there, the actors have to sculpt their lines and characters to create a fresh and unique play each night.

Tension and humour are palpable throughout each scene as the actors share subtle looks and smirks while listening intently to each other’s lines and working out what they are going to say next.

Sometimes, the jokes or conversations take such an unexpected turn that they are so funny even the other characters on stage can’t help but let a giggle slip out, and the laughter is contagious.

I can rarely remember a time when I’ve sat in the Old Vic’s main auditorium and heard so many people laughing all at once.

And it’s not just the actors on stage. Behind the scenes, the music and stage directors add surprise and humour to the play with their improvised sound effects and atmospheric lighting.

Throughout it all, the detective, aptly named Ivor Hunt, ensures the plot moves along at a suitable pace. He also introduces a little slapstick humour to the stage, reminding characters of strange bodily afflictions that cause them to break out into dance or stick their tongues out.

Away from the drama, the interesting and rewarding part of watching improv is that you get a glimpse of the actors’ creative minds at work and experience the unfiltered joy and excitement of seeing their jokes fit perfectly with those of the people they are working with.

Expect a night filled with of mystery and laughter at this joy-filled show.

Murder, She Didn’t Write was at the Old Vic until Sunday (September 20).